Box-car unloader



A. E, JOHNSON.

BOX CAR UNLOADERL v APPLICATION HLED MAY 18, 1920- Patented June 20, 1922.

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A. E. JOHNSON. I BOX CAR UNLOADER. APPLICATION HLED MAYIS. 1920.

Patented June 20, 1922.

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A. E.'JOHNSON.

BOX CAR UNLOADER. APPLICATION FILED MAYIB, 1920 Patented June 20, 1922.

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r. caries rare ALLAN E. JOHNSON, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANAIML.

BOY-CAR UNLOADER.

Application filed May 18 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLAN JorrNsoN, of the city of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, a subject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-Car Unloaders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates particularly to the means for facilitating the discharge of loose commodities such as grain, sand, lime, coal, gravel and the like from box cars, and it is for use particularly in conjunction with means for tilting the car; the object of the invention is to provide a baffle which will be caused by automatic action to enter the car and assume a position which will in co-action with the tilting of the car secure the effective discharge of the lading, and when not in use be clear of the space in front of the door. Baflles for co-acting with the tilting mechanism in box car unloaders are well known and the defects of bad fitting of the parts and obstruction of the space before the door in these baffles andother operating mechanism at present in use are sought to be overcome by my invention. To this end my invention consists of a baffle with means for inserting and withdrawing the same through the side door of a car and adapted to hold up the baffle until it gets into the car and then cause it to subside until it rests on the floor along which it is projected until it comes into contact with the opposite side of the car, one side door only of which is open. Co-acting with the means for inserting and elevating and lowering the bathe is means for sluing the baffle round to a position at one side of the door opening when fully withdrawn from the car.

For full comprehension, however, of my invention, reference must be had to the accompanying drawings in which similar reference characters indicate the same parts, and wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of one of my improved bafiies and supporting structure;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional'view taken on line 3-3 Figure 2;

Figure 4: is a plan view of a car and my improved battle mechanism with one of the baffles in position for discharging; and

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 55 Figure 3.

Specification of Letters latent. Patgnte d J 1111 .20, 1922,

1920. Serial No. 382,245.

sists of a pair of sheet metal plates 4 mounted upon interposed channel irons 5, (the lower edge oft-he portion adapted to be inserted within the car having a flexible strip 6 secured thereto.) The fixed supporting structure for each baffle constitutes a part of the frame 7 and includes top and bottom guideways 8 and 9. The extreme outer end of the battle is slidably supported by collars 10 upon a vertical shaft 12 the upper end of which carries a roller 13 travellingin the gnideway 8 while the lower end is mounted on a carriage lat running on a roller 15, The latter is located midway the length of the carriage to permit the latterto'rock thereon and consequently adjust itself to the inclination of the baffle. Rollers 1 6 rotating on vertical axes are located at opposite ends of the carriage and are adapted to contact with the sides of the guideways.

Adjacent to the track are additional supports for the baffles. They are formed by the upper and lower guiding brackets 17 and 18 pivotally mounted on a vertical shaft 19 located in position in the frame 7 adjacent the car and to one side of the door opening These brackets are constructed and' thereof. arranged to straddle the upper and lower side edges of the baffle. The upper bracket is slidably mounted upon the shaft and has 1 vertical rollers 20 adapted to bear against the sides of the baffie while the lower bracket is also provided with vertical rollers 21 performing a similar function and a roller 22 mounted on a horizontal axis and'bearing against the bottom edge of the baffle. This lower bracket is integral with collar 23 and sleeve 24 which encircles the shaft 19 and is fixed longitudinally in position on the shaft by retaining collars 25. Straddling sleeve 24, and bearing on the lower surface of the collar 23, is the forked end 27 of a lever 28, bearing an adjustable counterweight 29 and fulcrumed as at 30 adjacent the said forked end in a standard 31 constituting a part of the frame 7. The purpose of this counterweight is to increase the bearing of the front end of the battle on the car floor, as it approaches its fully inserted position in the car, by supporting the weight of shaft 19 and its attached parts, and enough of, the weight of the battle to reduce its hearing at adjacent edge of car floor to a small amount, after the partial support for these parts, by nut 42, has been withdrawn as hereinafter explained.

The mechanism for actuating each baffle consists of the shaft 19 hereinbefore referred to, a drum 32 mounted thereon and keyed thereto, a rope 33 wound on the drum with its opposite ends connected to the front end of the baffle as at 34 and to the rear end of the baffle as at 35 and a motor 36 adapted to drive the shaft 19 through a worm 37 in intermeshing relation with the worm wheel 38, the worm wheel having a squared opening 39 receiving the squared upper end of the shaft 19 and permitting the latter to move axially relatively to the worm wheel. The lower end of the shaft 19 is contained within a housing 40 having a reduced opening at its lower end, to present a shoulder 41 adapted to limit downward movement of a nut 42 mounted upon the threaded lower end of the shaft 19. Integral with nut 42 is a square collar 43, adapted to slide vertically within a square prismatic portion of the housing 7 which prevents its turning.

' trated in Figure 4.

The portion of the frame adjacent the door opening carries a metal wall 45 bearing a door 46 for sealing the opening through which the baffle passes, being curved to enable the bafitle to push it open as it moves towards the car.

A limiting switch 47 is mounted upon the frame 7 adjacent the rear of the baflie and is adapted to be engaged by a projection 48 on the carriage 14 for the purpose of limiting outward movement of the baffle by stopping the motor. V

In the operation of my improved baffle mechanism after the door of the car has been forced open, the motor 36 is set in motion and the shaft 39 rotated thereby winding the rope 33 on the drum 34 and pulling the leaf fie into the car at the angle thereto illus It is essential that the front end of the baflle clear the highest door sill of any car to be used and consequently this end of the battle when it commences its travel must be located to accomplish this and as the bafile is fed in across the car it is necessary that it should be lowered into contact with the floor of the car in order that the grain may not pass underneath to the opposite end of the car. This lowering motion is obtained by the shaft'19 and nut 42, the shaft being, as hereinbefore stated, capable of axial movement, initial rotation of the shaft allowing the latter to feed downwardly through the nut which is seated upon the shoulder 41 until at a high enough level i the baffle has entered the car and come into bathe for the purpose of increasing the tendency of the forward portion thereof to swing down into a continuous bearing upon the floor as the shaft is lowering the baffie. In withdrawing the car the reverse operation takes place.

The bafiies and all their operating mechanisms are rigidly connected to the main frame or cradle which carries the car, and that they maintain their relative position with respect to the car during all its movements during the dumping process, and that baffle from the the operations of the baflles may be carried on simultaneously with the the main platform, or cradle.

In withdrawing the battles they first move in substantially their own plane but as they reach such a position that movement, transversely to their own planes, will not be much interfered with by the material to be unloaded, either in withdrawing or reinserting, their outer ends are caused, to move approximately parallel to the longitudinal central plane of the car, thus reducing their maximum distance fromthis plane. movement is secured by the angular shape of the guides 8 and 9.

What I claim is as follows:

1. The combination with a baffle forinsertion into forth, of means for inserting and withdrawing such baffle and means raising and lowering the baffle relatively to the car floor while being inserted and raising and lowering the same relatively to the car floor while being withdrawn.

2. The combination with a tiltable support for a car and a baffle for insertion into tilting of This a box car for the purpose set for successively the car for the purpose set forth, of means for inserting and and means for lowering the baffle relatively to the car floor while being inserted and raising and lowering the baffle relatively to the car floor while being withdrawn, and means for sluing round the baflie to a position substantially parallel to the car support.

3. The combination with a tiltable support for a car anda baffle for insertion into withdrawing such baflie the car for the purpose set forth, of means for inserting and withdrawing such baffle and means for successively raising and lowering the baffle relatively to the car floor while being inserted and raising and lowerthe baflie while being withdrawn, and means successively raising and for sluing round the battle to a position substantially parallel .to the car support while being withdrawn.

4. The combination with a baffle for insertion into a box car for the purpose set forth, of means for inserting and withdrawing the battle into and from the car, and means for lowering and raising the baffle relatively to the car.

5. The combination with a baffle for insertion into a box car for the purpose set forth, said baflle being disposed in a position substantially parallel to the car, means for inserting and withdrawing the baflie into and from the car, and means for sluing round the bafiie to position transversely to the length of the car as it is inserted and for sluing it round to position substantially parallel to the car as it is withdrawn.

6. In a baflie mechanism of the type described top and bottom guideways, and a battle slidably mounted therein, said guideways being of angular form one side of the angle extending substantially parallel to the car and the other side of the angle at an angle thereto for the purpose of sluing round the bafiie as it is inserted and withdrawn from the car.

7 The combination with a battle for insertion into a box car for the purpose set forth of means for inserting and withdrawing such baffle, said means consisting of a shaft a drum upon the shaft a rope wound upon the drums and having its ends connected to the opposite ends of the baffle, and means for rotating said shaft, and means for causing axial movement of the shaft for the purpose of lowering and raising the baffle relatively to the car.

8. The combination with a battle for insertion into a box car for the purpose set forth of means for inserting and withdrawing such bafiie, said means consisting of a shaft a drum upon the shaft a rope wound upon the drums and having its ends connected to the opposite ends of the baffle, and means for rotating said shaft, and means for causing axial movement of the shaft for the purpose of lowering and raising the baffle relatively to the car, said last mentioned means consisting of a nut screwed upon the said shaft and held against rotation, and means constructed and arranged to limit axial movement of said nut.

9. The combination with a baffle supporting structure and a baflie slidably mounted in said structure for insertion into a box car for the purpose set forth, of means for inserting and withdrawing said baflie, and means for supporting the outer end of the baffle as it is inserted into the car for the purpose of increasing the tendency of the inner portion of the battle to bear upon the car floor.

10. The combination with a baflie supporting structure and a bafiie slidably mounted in said structure for insertion into a box car for thepurpose set forth, of means for inserting and withdrawing said baflie, and means for supporting the outer end of the battle it is inserted into the car for the purpose of increasing the tendency of the inner portion of the battle to bear upon the car floor, said last mentioned means consisting of a member bearing upon the lower edge of the bathe, a lever fulerumed in the supporting frame adjacent one end with such end in bearing relation with the member bearing upon the lower edge of the battle and a counterweight located on the opposite end of said lever.

11. The combination with a tiltable support for a car of baffle mechanism mounted upon said support and tiltable therewith, said mechanism consisting of a pair of baflies and located at one side of the can and on each side of the door opening, means for inserting and withdrawing each of said battles into and from the car, and means for guiding each baflie in its movement whereby it assumes a position substantially parallel to the car when in its outermost position andassumes a position transversely to the car when in position therein.

12. In a battle mechanism for unloading box cars the combination with a supporting structure presenting top and bottom guideways, a carriage movable within said guideways, a bafile having its outer end mounted upon said carriage, a shaft located at the end of said guideways adjacent the car, a bracket mounted upon said shaft, and supporting the baffle, a drum mounted upon said shaft and rotatable in unison therewith, a rope wound around said drum with its ends connected to the opposite ends of said baifle, a motor for rotating said shaft, means for causing axial movement of said shaft for the purpose of moving the bafile relatively to the car floor, said means consisting of a nut screwed upon the shaft and held against r0 tation and a stop intersecting path of the nut and adapted to limit axial movement thereby.

13. In a baffle mechanism for unloading box cars the combination with a supporting structure presenting top and bottom guideways, a carriage movable within said guide ways, a baffle having its outer end mounted upon said carriage, a shaft located at the end of said guideways adjacent the car, a bracket mounted upon said shaft, and supporting the baffle, a drum mounted upon said shaft and rotatable in unison therewith, a rope wound around said drum with its ends connected to the opposite ends of said baflie, a motor for rotating said shaft, means for causing axial movement of said shaft for the purpose of moving the baffle relatively to the car fioor, said means consisting jacent one end such end being forked and straddlin and in operative engagement with said bracret and a counterweight mounted upon the opposite end of said lever.

14. In a baliie mechanism for unloading box cars the combination with a supporting structure, a bafiie Slidably mounted in said structure, of means for inserting and with drawing said bafiie into and from a car, said means including a motor and means for automatically stopping the motor when the battle has reached its outermost position said means consisting of a switch mounted upon a supportin structure and a device movable with the ba 1 e in a path intersected by said switch.

15. In a bathe mechanism for unloading box cars the combination with a supporting structure including a wall adjacent the door opening of the car, said wall having an opening therein a baflie slidably mounted in said structure and movable through said opening in the wall when being inserted and withdrawn from the car and a door for closing said opening and constructed andv arranged to be swung open by the baflie, said door being of curved cross-section, means for yieldingly maintaining said door in closed position and for maintaining it in bearing relation with the adjacent side of-the battle when open for the purpose of preventing the discharged lading passing through the openmg.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

ALLAN a. Joi nson. Witnesses GoRDoN G, (100mm, WILLIAM J. C. IIEWETSON. 

